"Get away!" Hagrid's furious roar shook heaven and earth. He swung his club-like arms. Spiders flew off him like raindrops with a whoosh.
So strong. Ethan lay peacefully on the ground, watching Hagrid's berserk appearance with secret alarm. Really like a bulldozer... when enraged, earth and stone crumble.
And as a half-giant, Hagrid also has magical resistance. Spells hitting him are like hitting rock. No wonder in the original story, they sent a circle of Aurors to surround and attack Hagrid. The giant race... there are still many places to explore in the magical world.
However, despite Hagrid's desperate fight against the spiders to protect the students, under that tidal wave of endless biting attacks, Hagrid still succumbed to spider venom, collapsed, and was bound with spider silk.
"Eat me! Let the students go!" Hagrid's eyes were bloodshot as he roared at Spider King Aragog.
[No, Hagrid, I won't eat friends... gag Hagrid's mouth.]
"Dumbledore won't let you get away with this... mmph mmph!" A large mass of spider silk blocked Hagrid's mouth.
At this moment, Hagrid's fierce appearance did resemble the painting Ethan had made of him.
Soon, Harry and the others were bound one by one. Thrown on the ground. Waiting for the feast to begin.
"E... Ethan!" Ron spoke with a tremor. His small face deathly pale and tongue-tied, he asked hopefully: "You still have a way, right?"
Ethan answered honestly: "I'm waiting for a sacred, noble knight to descend from heaven."
Knight? Descend from heaven? He's gone mad! Ethan must be unable to use his cards because of the poison. He's already talking nonsense!
Ron's eyes immediately turned ashen. His head tilted as he murmured: "It's over; we're dead..." Hagrid, you're about to accomplish what even Voldemort couldn't.
The Acromantulas clicked closer. In those eight black pupils reflected tender young faces.
[Hehe... naive and foolish young humanlings... Don't worry, you'll soon become nourishment for my clan... Help my clan defeat that damned strange bird...]
"The strange bird you mentioned... is it this one?" A completely unperturbed voice spoke. Ethan met the Acromantula's cold gaze and curved his lips.
The next second... "Screech!" A sharp whistle. Like midnight piercing the silence of a graveyard, it suddenly rang out in the sky!
A shadow blocked the moonlight, diving down rapidly from above!
Ron's eyes lit up. Could it be the sacred knight Ethan mentioned?! Ethan! I misunderstood you!
Ron looked up joyfully and met a skull blazing with ghostly blue fire.
Ron: "Misunderstood my ass... ahhh!" What... what is that hellish thing?! Bloody hell! Are we absolutely doomed tonight?!
In the ear-piercing shriek like scraping glass, that skull-bird over three metres tall shot down like an arrow! Its sharp beak struck the spider swarm with a thud!
Splurt... Juices sprayed everywhere!
[No... impossible!] Spider King Aragog's eight eyes widened in shock as it crawled backward in terror. [This strange bird only hunted at the periphery... how did it get into the nest?!]
"Screech!" The strange bird threw back its head and cried. Instead of entangling with the spiders, it used its stick-thin, skeletal arms to grab the spider cocoons. Yanking them open!
"Rip!" White spider silk shredded. Ethan stood up from the ground, twisting his stiff wrists. Looking up, he met the ghostly blue flames in those hollow eye sockets.
"Run quickly! That strange bird is carnivorous!" Hagrid shouted. Having finally spat out the spider silk ball from his mouth, he stared at Ethan with utmost urgency.
Now Hagrid finally understood. Dangerous animals really are dangerous.
The others also stared at Ethan in terror. As if the next second, Ethan would have his head pierced by that chisel-like beak.
Only Luna gazed at the strange bird's slender, graceful body with fascinated blue eyes. Murmuring: "So beautiful..."
Ethan glanced at them. Under their shocked gazes, he raised his hand and touched the Death Bird's jagged skull. Smiling: "You've grown so big. Very good."
The Death Bird cried once, gently nuzzling Ethan's palm.
Everyone: "(○口○)?!" What... what is going on?!
Hagrid was stunned, then tears of excitement flowed from his eyes. Kindred spirits...
Just then... "Caw!" The strange bird cried out in pain. Dozens of spiders pounced on it, biting frantically.
Spider King Aragog's furious hiss came from behind Ethan: [So this strange bird is connected to you... none of you will leave this forest alive today! Kill them! My offspring!]
"Trouble!" Ron shouted anxiously, "Even if this strange bird obeys Ethan's commands, it can't possibly handle so many spiders!"
Hermione had a flash of inspiration: "Ethan! Quick, have this bird grab you and fly to Hogwarts! Go find Headmaster Dumbledore!"
However, watching the dark mass of spiders completely engulf the strange bird, Ethan remained motionless. As if scared stiff.
Aragog couldn't help but laugh, saying slowly: [Walking into a trap... how foolish. Human, why do you think a single bird could defeat my hundreds and thousands of offspring?]
"Why?" Ethan raised his hand, a rectangular card materialising. "Because I have cheats, you idiot."
I was waiting for the right moment. What are you waiting for? Death?
As his words fell, a silver-white stream of light shot skyward from the card! Like a meteor, it pierced through the spider encirclement and entered the strange bird.
The next second... "BOOM!" A silver-white crescent appeared in midair. Countless spiders were instantly cut into pieces! Limbs scattered like flower petals from the sky.
The strange bird stood on the ground, gripping a gleaming silver diamond-shaped staff like a human. Cold flames rose from the staff, wrapping its entire body!
A drop of warm liquid fell on Ethan's lips. He licked it, tasting a familiar metallic flavour.
In the pattering blood rain, Ethan closed his eyes in enjoyment, tilted his head back, spread his arms, and slightly curved his lips. Letting the warm liquid fall on his face, hair, and body. Dyeing his pale skin red.
Ron stared dumbly at this scene: "Bloody hell..."
Screech... A bone-chilling shriek echoed in everyone's ears. Ghostly blue flame ribbons drifted through the dim forest. Actually creating a strange beauty. Corroding everything they touched to black.
With the silver staff, the strange bird was like a tiger with wings, wielding it with superhuman strength! Each movement swept away masses of spiders! Sweeping through thousands!
Spider King's eyes nearly burst: [What... what is happening?! What did you do, human?!]
Ethan turned his head. Looking at the Acromantula's fierce appearance, he said gently and patiently: "The greatest difference between humans and animals is that we create and use tools... lower creature."
[You!] The Acromantula's pupils turned blood-red with rage. Watching its offspring being harvested like wheat with no resistance, seeing the massive spurts of blood. It knew deep down the battle was lost. Hunter had become prey in an instant.
[I'll kill you!] Its massive pincers rose high like a black scythe of death, suspended over Ethan's head!
Hagrid roared: "No..."
Then... "BANG!" A silver staff struck down like lightning! Carrying thunderous force, it pierced from back to chest, pinning the Acromantula firmly to the ground!
Earth and stone cracked, dust rose. Aragog's eight eyes widened as it spat out mouthfuls of blood! It stared intently at those cobalt-blue pupils of the small human before it. In those mirror-calm pupils, it saw its own fallen form.
Black hair flying, Ethan looked down at the collapsed Acromantula and chuckled: "Don't worry. You'll become my nourishment, helping me obtain what I desire."
Just like you originally planned to do to us.